Curse of the Moon
by Velocetry
Summary: Percy Jackson's life was a lie. His love with Annabeth was never existent. As he finds himself wandering the streets of New York, he is found by the king of the wolves, and struck with the oldest curse known to man. Now he lives in fear of the moon, the source of the curse's power, while also being hunted by a certain moon goddess.
1. Chapter 1: The Curse

**Disclaimer: All rights go to Rick Riordan.**

 **Chapter 1: The Curse**

A man of 16 roamed the streets of New York mutely, devoid of any life. His eyes bore straight ahead of him. He had no destination in mind; he went wherever his legs would take him.

The night was cold, albeit being August. A cool breeze travelled weaved it's way through the concrete jungle, garnering a shiver from the man.

He stopped and pulled his mangled jacket closer around his shoulders. He let a shaky breath out. It was so cold you could see his breath, travelling beyond his mouth only to dissolve into the air.

He glanced up towards the heavens. Looking past the stars thoughtfully. One particular group of stars caught his eye. The Huntress.

He stared wistfully at the constellation, remembering his former friend. He took a deep breath and pushed away the memories. It was simply just another thing to add to his already depressed mind.

He continued his trek onwards, not really looking where he was going. Finally, he decided that it would be time to return to his friends at camp, after a week of roaming. They were probably worried at him. He smiled fearfully at the beating he would receive at the hands of Thalia.

You see, this was no ordinary man. This was the hero of Olympus, Perseus Jackson, son of Poseidon.

Even after saving the world from Titans, he still could not find peace. The life of a demigod never ends well. Despite being named after the only demigod that had a happy ending, Percy was not granted the same luxury.

His mother, the person he cared for more than anyone else was dead at the hands of Kronos. The person he loved, the person he would have sacrificed godhood for, his mortal anchor, Annabeth, turned out to be working for Kronos the entire time clouded by a misplaced love for Luke. It was all a joke. The love they had, a sick prank. After she was found guilty, she was banished to Tartarus for treason.

He was angry. Yes at Annabeth, but more at himself. He didn't realize that she was a traitor, although being her closest friend. _Not as close as I thought._ He thought to himself in disgust. Had he realized that she was with Kronos, he could have prevented so many more deaths. More of his friends would be alive if not for her. His mom would still be alive. He felt weak. If he was stronger, perhaps things could have ended differently, and he could be granted with the happy ending he so desired.

Percy sighed once more, steeling himself for the onslaught he would receive for leaving camp for a week with no notice.

When he finally looked up from his thoughts, he noticed he was no longer on the busy streets of Manhatten, but instead he was a forest. The trees towered above him, casting dark and menacing shadows on the forest floor. The only light came from the moon, filtering through the canopy above. It was a full moon that night. It only added to the malevolence this place already carried.

He glanced around, on full alert. He scanned the trees for any threats. Suddenly, a howl broke through the thick silence of the woods. Percy reached into his pocket and pulled out a pen. He swiftly uncapped it and it grew in size to a three foot long sword of death and destruction.

Percy held his sword at the ready. Footsteps ran through the forest as he looked back and forth, trying to pinpoint the source of the sound. Except it wad all around him.

He quickly realized these were not the steps of a human, but of a creature. More footsteps broke him from his thoughts. It was not just one creature, but several of them. They were closing in.

Percy was panicking, his breath caught in his throat. A low growl emitted to his right. He swivelled around, sword level with his attacker. A wolf.

Several more came in to join the first. Soon he found himself surrounded by a pack of wolves.

He eyed each of them. Their eyes showed that they were obviously hungry. Drool dripped from their teeth as they eyed their prey, ready to strike.

"Hello Perseus." A voice spoke from his right. He whirled around and was met with a pair of yellow, wolf-like eyes. It was man, and yet there was something off about him. He was hairier than any man Percy had ever seen and was built like a tank. He wore a hoodie that had the sleeves ripped off. But what was off about him was his eyes. They weren't normal. They kept glancing in every direction, seeming to analyze everything about their current location. The pupils were not round like a normal man's, but were slivers like a cat's.

"Lower the sword Jackson. It cannot harm me regardless." The man sneered.

Percy kept his sword level with the man's face. "Who are you? What do you want with me?"

The man burst out laughing. "So cautious, Perseus."

After he was done, he stared at Percy, "You blame yourself for your friend's and mother's deaths. You think you aren't strong enough to protect them."

He paused, "and you're right. You barely survived this war, and you won't make it through the next."

He seemed to notice Percy's surprise when he mentioned another war. "That's right Perseus. There is another war coming. And you won't be able to survive."

Percy ground his teeth together, the muscles in his jaw working with anger. He knew the man was right. He knew that he didn't have enough power to do anything. But he was more angry the Fates had decided to include him in the next war. It was cruel. It wasn't fair. He had done enough for the damn gods.

"I can give you more power." He said nonchalantly.

Percy raised his eyebrow and lowered his sword a bit before asking, "Who are you?"

The man grinned, pointed fangs protruding from the corner of his mouth. "I am Lycaon! King of the Wolves. And I can give you a chance to be one of the most powerful demigods. You could destroy all of your enemies without so much as a flick of a wrist. Even the gods themselves would fear you."

Lycaon. Greek class in camp floated into Percy's mind. Something about Zeus turning him into a wolf after feeding him human meat. He wasn't too sure, but he was certainly interested in his offer.

"There has to be catch. There's always a catch." Percy said, cautiously, lowering his weapon even further.

He laughed, "Yes my boy, of course. You're smarter than you let on. The catch is simple. You spend your afterlife not in the underworld, but with your new brethren." He said grinning, gesturing to the other wolves that still surrounded him.

Percy looked at the wolves confused. They had shifted to a calmer demeanour, looking at him with more curiosity then anything. A few of them sniffed at the ground, while others seemed ready to attack him at any given moment.

"Brethren? The wolves? I don't understand." He told Lycaon.

"Let me help you understand, Jackson," he said while reaching behind him. His faced morphed into one of pain as he pulled out a silver vial and held it towards Percy. He scowled as his arm was outstretched towards him. The wolves seemed wary of the bottle, and recoiled slightly. They eyed it carefully, a few even running off into the dark woods.

"Take it! Hurry!" Lycaon growled, his face turning red.

Surprised, Percy held out his hand and he dropped the bottle into Percy's hands hastily. The moment it left his hands, the pain left left his face and all that was left was one of discomfort. He grinned toothily.

"Drink" Lycaon told him.

Percy gingerly uncapped the bottle, peering inside. The contents were red and thick. "What is this?" He questioned, glaring at Lycaon.

"Does it matter? It will make you more powerful than any demigod known. You will go down in history and the strongest half blood. You need only drink."

He was tempted. If he spoke true, then he might actually be strong enough to protect camp. Fight in this new war that Lycaon spoke of, and not lose anyone close to him.

Of course, he could easily be lying. It could be poison. Trying to eliminate the enemy before the war.

He peered into Lycaon's cat eyes. They seemed genuine enough. A rather big mistake on Percy's part.

He took a deep breath and lifted the bottle up to his lips. The liquid trickled into his mouth and down his throat. Lycaon grinned.

He brought the vial away from his mouth. It was bitter. The after-taste was vile.

At first nothing happened. He looked around at the wolves that surrounded him, then at Lycaon. He looked upon him with anticipation, as if he was waiting for something to happen.

Then his body went rigid. The vial fell from his hands. Unimaginable pain erupted through his body. He screamed into the night, tears falling from his eyes. His entire body burned as if he was drowning in the Styx.

He was poisoned. He had to be. And now he was going to die.

Lycaon simply laughed into the cold night air. "Let us welcome our new brother into the fold!" He shouted to the other wolves. They looked up towards the moon and howled in agreement.

Percy's body began to shift. His limbs began to elongate and become more muscled. Fangs replaced his teeth, his face morphed, a snout formed, replaced his nose. Claws protruded from his fingers, now paws and fur began to grow in all parts of his body.

"Welcome Perseus Jackson, my fellow lycanthropes!" He bellowed, laughing.

The werewolf ripped through the wolves that encompassed him and bolted off into the forest.

His mind was clouded with pain, an unimaginable hunger eating away at his stomach.

His sense of smell was tripled. His head twitched at the slightest crack of a twig, or sway of the leaves. He could hear for miles around.

He ran, weaving his way through the maze of trees, Lycaon's laughter still ringing through his ears. His life as a demigod was now over.


	2. Chapter 2: The Wolf Goddess

**I got two reviews from my first chapter. One that said "Continue" (this chapter is for you.) And one that said Percy is stupid for listening to the crazed wolf monster. Let's be honest here, Percy isn't the sharpest tool in the shed. Thanks to everyone who followed, favourited and reviewed!**

 **Disclaimer: All rights go to Rick Riordan.**

 **Chapter 2: The Wolf Goddess/strong/p**

Countless figures jumped from tree to tree, stalking their next target. A lone hellhound weaved it's way through the dark forest, completely oblivious to it's deadly pursuers. It carried a dead rabbit between it's jaws. The hunters continued with utmost silence, leaping from branch to branch without a single sound, their only source of light was the full moon that shown overhead brightly overhead. They followed the beast in hopes that it would leave them to it's home. And more of its kind.

Finally the hound arrived at it's destination; a pile of boulders. It climbed to the top of the pile before leaping off to the other side, disappearing from their view. The hunters skirted around the mound, trying to see where it had gone.

On the opposite side, there was a small alcove; a decent place to shelter. Rocks sheltered both sides, and a massive slab of a boulder provided a roof. Within, there was the hellhound. It was doing something, but it wasn't clear what. It's back was turned. Finally, it moved off to the side and lay down. Behind it lay a much smaller hellhound, feasting away on the dead rabbit.

The huntress was taken aback. This hellhound simply wanted to provide food for it's cub, nothing more. Unfortunately, they would not live. The very nature of the beast dictated that it was to be killed. The hunter looked to her side to see her companions with similar expressions on their face. When she finally caught their attention, she nodded, signing the monster's end. She swiftly removed an arrow from the quiver on her back and nocked it on her silver bow. She took a deep breath, before drawing the bow. The arrow tip shined bright silver in the moonlight.

This didn't feel right. Yes it was a monster, but perhaps it didn't want this life. Perhaps it wanted to live in leave as a normal animal. She released the bowstring. Several more followed from all directions. The beasts were dead in seconds, a yelp coming from the younger one. She sighed. Unfortunately it was inevitable.

"Come on girls, let's head back to camp. It's quite late and we have a long journey to Camp Half-blood tomorrow." She shouted towards her fellow hunters. They all groaned at the prospect of going to the demigod camp. They all dropped from their trees in unison, heading towards the general direction they came from. She noticed one particular girl, Thalia seemed distraught. Now that she thought about it, Thalia had been like this all week. She jogged up to catch up with her lieutenant.

"Thalia. Is something the matter?" She questioned with an eyebrow slightly raised.

When she didn't respond, she stuck out her leg in front of Thalia, causing her to trip and fall on her face. She struggled to hold back a laugh.

"Who the hel-" she started as she sprung to her feet, murder in her eyes. When she lay her eyes on the hunter, her eyes went big and she dipped her head slightly.  
"Lady Artemis. Not to mean any disrespect, but why did you trip me?" She asked with her head down.

Artemis smirked, "How many times do I have to tell you, Thalia? It's not 'm'lady' or 'Lady Artemis'. Just call me Artemis. Now raise your head."

"She slowly did so, peering up at the moon goddess' eyes.

"Now as for why I tripped you. First, I thought it would be funny," she said, earning a glare from Thalia, "second, I called your name several times but you didn't seem inclined to answer. So I tripped you."

"Sorry Artemis, it's just that a lot has been on my mind lately." Thalia said with a sigh.

Artemis looked at her with questioning eyes, beckoning her to elaborate.

She looked at the ground a bit before responding, "I got an IM from Nico and he told me that Percy went missing. He didn't even tell anyone. No note, no nothing. He just up and left. That was a week ago and he still hasn't shown up."

Artemis interests were piqued. Perseus was... Well quite frankly, one of the the only men she thought was tolerable. He took her place under the sky so that she could battle the Titan Atlas. He made friends with Zoë, despite she being the hunter who hated men the most. Then he was betrayed by the person he loved the most. Annabeth. A girl.

"Don't worry Thalia. I'm sure he's just taking a break after the war. Nothing to worry about." She told her confidently.

Thalia simply nodded before she looked up and realized they had arrived their camp. She ran off to join her sisters.

Just as the hunters were ready to retire for the night, a howl ripped through the silence of the night. Immediately everyone was on high alert, bows out and watching the surroundings of the camp. It sounded very close. Sounds of footsteps came from Artemis' right. She whirled and nocked an arrow, ready for am assault. She eyed the sounds source. This wasn't a wolf. They only travelled in packs, and there seemed to be only one. The sound of the footsteps weren't close together either, they were more spaced out, indicating a larger creature.

A hellhound? Hellhounds didn't howl. In fact only wolves howled like that... And werewolves.

Just as the thought crossed her mind, out bursted a werewolf through the tree line and into the perimeter of their camp. Artemis just about released the string, but she hesitated.

The lycanthrope had the blackest raven fur she had seen. It was taller and far more muscled that most werewolves. But that's not what made her hesitate. It's eyes were a vibrant sea green. In place of the usual bloodlust and hunger that usually dominated their eyes, was fear.

It's head jutted from hunter to hunter, trying to decipher what was happening. It's eyes fell on Artemis. The moment it did, it's head dipped a bit, as if it were trying to bow. Instead, it lost it's balance and fell forwards.

As it slowly rose to it's hind legs, it peered into Artemis' eyes. She stared back into it's pleading eyes. She wasted no more time in putting a silver arrow between it's eyes. At least that's what she intended to do.

Just as she was about let the arrow launch, a scream rang through the air from behind her. "No!"

The sudden outburst startled her, throwing her aim off. The arrow landed in the werewolve's shoulder. As it embedded itself in the werewolf, it howled in pain and whipped around before bolting back into the dark forest.

Artemis whirled around, not too interested in the werewolf, but more interested in the scream that emitted from one of the hunters.  
Her eyes landed on Thalia, the only one without her bow out. Her eyes were glued to where the werewolf was, her mouth agape.  
"What's wrong Thalia?" She questioned after rushing to her side.

As she got closer, she noticed the horror in her eyes. She looked terrified. Artemis wasn't sure why, they had hunted werewolves before.

"That werewolf." she whispered, eyes still glued to the same spot, "That werewolf looked like Percy."

(Linebreak)

Agony.

Yeah that summed up what Percy was feeling at the moment.

He groaned, turning to his side and brought his hands to his head. It felt like his half-brother Tyson used his head as a drum; not a nice feeling.

His entire body was sore. But the most prominent source of pain was his left shoulder. He took his hands away from his head and towards the pain in his shoulder. There he found a thin stick, protruding from the spot. Feathers lined the end of the shaft.

His eyes shot open. He lay on the forest floor, large trees towering above him. It was still night time. He slowly propped himself on his elbow and examined the wound. An arrow stuck out from his shoulder. A silver one.

Percy had been shot with arrows before. But for some reason, this one was overwhelmingly painful. He cried out in agony when he attempted to pull it out. He gave up immediately, deciding it probably wasn't the best idea to pull it out anyways; it was the only thing preventing him from bleeding out.

He slowly sat from his spot. Looking around at his surroundings in a daze. He lay in the middle of the forest. He peered up towards the sky, and noted it was a full moon. No... Not quite. It wasn't a full moon, but close.

He sat there, trying to remember how he had gotten here. Bits and pieces began to come back to him. He was wandering the streets of New York... Then he met with Lycaon... His eyes went wide. He growled and struck a tree. How could he have been so stupid? Why did he not see what Lycaon was proposing? He was the King of Wolves, turned into a lycanthope by Zeus after trying to feed him human meat. The red contents of the vial that he had given Percy had been werewolf blood. The pained expression at holding something silver.

After that, he couldn't remember much. He remembered running... Lots of it. He remembered a face... Of Artemis. Percy sat there confused. Artemis? Had they met? That would explain the silver arrow.

His faced contorted into one of worry. A silver arrow. His eyes locked on to it. If he didn't get it out fast, it would only be a matter of time before it killed him. Werewolves' only weakness was silver.

That's when it hit him full force. He was a werewolf. His head hung in his hands as he shuddered, tears beginning to fall from his eyes. He would never be able to return to camp now. The magical borders that surrounded it would repel him. He friends would think he's a freak; a monster. He was cursed.

"Why do you cry, little cub?" A gentle voice of a woman asked softly from behind him.

He spun around, searching for the source of the voice. He was met face to face with a large wolf, large than any he had seen before. It stood at least a foot taller than Percy. It startled him so much that he fell on his rump.

He slowly looked up. This was no ordinary wolf. It was covered in beautiful chocolate red fur and had eyes silver as mist. It looked as if it was royalty, if wolves could look like that. It held it's head up high in pride, while also peering down at him with curiosity. He felt as if he should bow to it.

"I don't know about you, but an arrow in the shoulder kind of hurts." Percy said to the wolf. It didn't even surprise him that a wolf was currently speaking to him. The demigod life was a weird one.

When it didn't respond, Percy continued, "Who are you?"

"He decided to keep his new affliction to himself, though he figured it could probably already tell.

"The pain from the arrow was spreading exponentially. He wondered how much longer he could stay conscious.

"My name is Lupa. And I am the keeper of the Wolf House. I train and groom warriors before sending them to the legion." She paused, eyeing him curiously, "Tell me, why is it that you got shot by a hunter of Diana?"

Before he could respond, he lost balance, and fell to the ground. His strength was leaving him. The silver arrow was killing him. It was a wonder that he even woke up in the first place.

Lupa lowered her head and nuzzled Percy's face gently. That was when he lost consciousness and darkness consumed him.


	3. Chapter 3: Unkillable Beasts

**Just thought I'd clear some things up. First of all, the vial that Lycaon gave to Percy didn't contain silver. It is made of silver so that it can contain the wolf's blood that is inside of it. Second of all, someone questioned that Percy should know who Lupa is since he trained with her. This story starts right after the titan war. The events of HoO haven't taken place yet. This leads us into our final question. Yes the story will take place during the events of HoO but it will follow a different path. So basically you won't be reading another version of HoO. That's all for questions and such.**

 **Thanks to everyone for the kind words and the follows and favourites!**

 **Disclaimer: All rights go to Rick Riordan.**

 **Chapter 3: Unkillable Beasts**

Percy woke with a start. Rarely did it happen where he slept without any dreams. Today was his lucky day. You know, besides turning into a werewolf. Just swell.

He cautiously rose from the bed he sat in, pushing off the fur blanket that covered him and analyzed his surroundings. He was in a dark room, the only light emitting from a small fire that crackled in the fire place. The walls were made of timber. A single window showed that it was still night time. On the opposite side was a door... A rather big door. It was cozy and warm, and for some reason, he felt extremely safe here. The same feeling he felt when he was at camp.

His hand went to his shoulder. Where there used to be an arrow, was replaced by a numb throb and some bandages. He sighed. It seemed that whenever he woke up, he'd always be in a different place.

The door flung open, and in stepped the wolf, Lupa. He was curious as to who this Lupa was. He certainly hadn't learned about her in Greek class. Not that he paid attention anyways.

Her silver eyes peered into Percy's green ones before she spoke, "You're awake. What is your name, cub?" She spoke softly.

He had the feeling that if he didn't tell her, he'd be eaten alive. Not wanting that to happen, he responded, "Percy Jackson."

"Tell me, Percy Jackson," she began, "why is it, that my new recruit for the Legion is a werewolf?"

He hesitated, "Believe me. I didn't want this to happen." He said.

Lupa sat down on her haunches, eyeing the demigod curiously, "Two things must be present for the curse of lycanthropy to take root. One, wolf's blood must be consumed. I suppose a wolf bite would work as well, although they rarely work. Two, a willing mind. You do not just become a werewolf, you have to accepting of the curse for it to affect you. Hence why a wolf bite would never work. Now tell me Percy Jackson. Why do you lie to me?"

He paled. He had never wanted this to happen. The only thing he wanted was... Power... He had accepted it, he just didn't know it.

"I was tricked. He told me he would give me power. I only wanted to protect the people I love." He whispered quietly, looking down in shame.

"Who is 'he', cub?" She asked, her misty eyes not once leaving his.

"Lycaon. I was stupid. Why would I trust the Wolf King?" He said.

Lupa's eyes narrowed. "That damn mutt. How dare he interfere with a mortal. No matter. What is done is done. You shall be a werewolf as long as you live, there is no cure. And when you die, you shall join me in the afterlife."

"Join you? What about the underworld? What about Elysium?" Percy had always held on to the thought that he'd be able to see his mother again, in death at least. Now that seemed distant as well.

"I'm sorry. The moment the curse imbedded itself within you, your soul was tethered to me. Unfortunately, there is no escape from your fate." She said, bowing her head apologetically.

Lupa once again looked up into the demigod's eyes. "Lycaon did not lie to you, however. Despite the downsides, werewolves are very powerful. They cannot be harmed by anything but silver and even in the human body, their senses are tripled and their strength cannot be matched by a normal mortal."

He sighed, and rubbed the back of his neck before responding, "I mean, that sounds good and all, but this is a real problem for me. They'll never let me inside camp. The magical borders there won't let me get in."

Lupa's eyes widened. She stood up and made her way closer to Percy. "Camp? You mean Camp Jupiter? How do you know of the place? Were you told by your godly parent?"

Percy looked up, "Camp Jupiter? What the heck is that? I mean Camp Half-blood. You know at the east coast near Manhattan? We can't be that far."

Lupa's eyes narrowed and she snarled, "You're a bloody _graecus?_ You definitely look like one." She paused slightly then continued. "No matter. I will do my duty as the Wolf Goddess. I will train you and send you to the Legion. The Fates surely have a reason for bringing you before me."

"Did you just call me a Greek ass? And what legion are you talking about? I'm sorry but I really need to get back to camp. I've been gone fo-" he faltered, "Never mind..."

 _"Graecus_ is Latin for Greek. And the Legion is an army of Roman demigods that recruit others of their kind at the orders of Jupiter." She stopped, noticing Percy's surprised face and disbelief. "That's right. Not only are there Greek gods and demigods. There are also Roman aspects of the gods, along with many more Roman demigods. And don't even bother going back you your Greek camp, cub. You are nearly three thousand miles away from the east coast. Camp Jupiter resides on the west coast. And do not worry. There are no barriers keeping you outside the camp."

Percy's jaw hit the floor. What? How was this even possible? He was in New York just the other day. It simply just wasn't possible. Before he could argue any further, Lupa interrupted him.

"Sleep Percy. Your training begins tomorrow. We will see if a _graecus_ is worthy for the Twelfth Legion." She said before stalking out of the room.

Percy's jaw was in the same position has before; on the floor. Sleep would definitely not come easily for the Greek demigod.

Lupa's demeanour towards him changed when she learned he was of Greek descent. Were they enemies or something? And why had they never been told this at camp. Or maybe they had and he just wasn't listening. That was definitely the more likely of the two.

Then a thought crossed his mind. Jupiter was the Roman version of Zeus. Which meant their camp was basically named Camp Zeus.

 _How self-centred can a guy get?_ He thought dryly.

(Line Break)

Artemis looked at Thalia incredulously. What was she thinking? How could that be Perseus?

"Thalia. A person must willingly accept being turned into a werewolf. You can't get infected other wise." She told her reassuringly.

She looked at the forest floor, eyes still wide. "Yeah... Yeah of course. Percy would never do that. Just those eyes... They looked so much like Percy's. They looked afraid Artemis." She sounded like she was still trying to convince herself more than convince Artemis.

That's what those eyes reminded her of. Percy Jackson's. They were the same sea green that his eyes held. The fur... It was the same jet-black as Percy's hair.

Now she was unsure. What could have possibly possessed Percy to undertake the curse? By doing so, he compromised his ability to return to camp. They would never let him back within the border. Not to mention that werewolves were the most vicious creatures. They had not an ounce of humanity left in them. Their mind, consumed by the hunger and the primal instinct.

"M'lady, watch out!" One of the hunters screamed.

Out of the shadows leapt a hellhound, tackling the moon goddess to the ground. Before it could do any damage however, a volley of arrows quickly dispatched the intruder.

Artemis pushed the hound off of her, getting a good look at it before it dissolved into dust. It looked extremely similar to the one that they had just finished hunting. But that wasn't possible. It took much longer than just a few minutes for a monster to reform.

She stood up, brushing herself off from the monster dust that covered her. As the dust that covered her joined the pile on the ground, it shifted. The dust began to whirl and slowly reform into a shape of a hellhound.

Artemis' eyes widened. She unsheathed her hunting daggers at her side. As soon as the hellhound reformed, she sent a powerful kick to it's jaw, causing it to fly off it's feet. Before it even had a chance to land, she hurled one of her daggers, catching it midair. It once again dissolved.

She watched the dust wearily as it began to form together again.

"Change of plans, girls." She started, "we're going to camp tonight."

"But how? We'll need a ride or something. We're all tired there's no way we'll be able to get there." Phoebe, one of the hunters said.

"Did someone say ride?" A voice said from behind them.

They all spun around startled. There he stood in all his glory with a crooked grin, leaning on a sleek Maserati Spyder.

"Apollo at your service." He said.

The hunters collectively groaned.

Apollo rolled his eyes and brought out his car keys. Upon pressing a button, the sports car slowly elongated and grew in size. A school bus sat in it's place.

"Get on girls" Artemis told them, before they began filing into the bus.

They made sure to give Apollo a glare before boarding.

After everyone was on, Apollo went to get on as well, but was dragged to the side by his sister.

"We need to talk first." She said, still keeping an eye on the swirling pile of monster dust.

He followed her gaze. "It's about the monsters reforming so quickly I'm guessing? You aren't the first to notice."

"What do you mean?" She question her brother.

"We've gotten reports from both camps about the same thing. It started only a few days ago. This may be the beginning of the next great prophecy." He said wearily.

She looked at Apollo surprised, "The next great prophecy? That last one just happened! Don't they take centuries to pass?"

"Usually, yes. But I don't control how the prophecies work. If it is destined to happen now, then it will happen."

She looked at the ground in thought. "Who do you think the seven will be?"

Apollo sighed, putting his hands behind his head. "I feel sorry for him, but I think Percy is definitely going to be one of them. Hopefully he'll return soon. Other than that, there's been two new arrivals at camp. A daughter of Aphrodite and a son of Hephaestus. The girl has an incredible ability in charmspeak and the boy can control fire." He paused. "Now here's the kicker. They're 15."

Artemis narrowed her eyes. "That's impossible. No demigod can survive on they're own passed 12. Their scent would attract too many beasts."

Apollo shrugged. "I have no idea how they made it. I only know the basics."

"Fine" Artemis sighed. "Take my hunters to camp. Do not touch them, look at them, or even breath the same air as them."

Apollo paled. "I can't just not breath. Come on little sis."

Artemis roughly grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him close, narrowing her eyes. "Try me, _litte brother_ "

Apollo laughed nervously. "Right no breathing. Got it." He said as he boarded the bus.

"Thalia want to drive?!" Artemis heard from Apollo. What followed was something between a "no" and a terrifying scream.

She needed to bring this issue before the council. If another war were to begin... She wasn't sure if the gods could handle it.


	4. Chapter 4: Truth of the Wild

**Thank you for all who reviewed, followed, and favourited. The kind words really mean a lot to me!**

 **Disclaimer: All rights go to Rick Riordan**

 **Chapter 4: Truth of the Wild**

"Let your primal instincts take over, cub. Let the beast out of it's cage." Lupa told Percy. "And when you do, don't give it control when you let it out. Tame it. Bend it to your will."

"Percy closed his eyes, feeling the beast within him, churning and restless. And yet despite the presence of the wolf, it would not come out from the depths in it's cage.

He sighed, and looked up at the wolf queen. Currently they were in a small clearing in the forest in front of the "Wolf House" as Lupa liked to call it. The large cabin looked like something a billionaire lumberjack would build. It was really quite impressive.

"Remember, like the ocean, it does not like being restricted. Let it out, give it freedom. But do not release your control over it." She said.

The Wolf Goddess had taken to teach Percy how control the curse. Normally she would take the vast majority of their training time and put it towards honing fighting skills; swords, archery, spears. However, Percy already obtained severe training, and while the Greek style was foreign to the Goddess, it seemed relatively effective.  
And so the Mother of Rome had spent the last week lecturing the demigod on lycanthropy. She went in depth about the weaknesses and strengths of possessing the affliction. The biggest weakness, of course, being silver. Any other metal would simply pass through his body, much like if someone were to use a celestial bronze sword on a normal mortal. The strength, speed and keen senses of the werewolf would remain in Percy's human form, but they would be further enhanced while he was a beast. And while he could not necessarily speak to animals, he could feel what they were feeling, and connect to them. He could feel fear, bloodlust, joy and all other emotions rolling off of wild animals.

He could not, however, seem to turn into a beast. He spent at least an hour trying to trigger it. He could just not do it, even though he had done it the first night. But he had been told by Lupa that that was because it had been a full moon.

Supposedly Artemis cursed all the werewolves so that they would turn into a beast, regardless if they wanted to on a full moon so that she could hunt them easily. So basically his biggest enemies at the moment were the silver-clad hunters of the moon. And to top it all off, he was a male. Wonderful.

He had to be sure to keep track of the full moons and when they happened. He was pretty sure the Romans wouldn't be happy if he was a werewolf. Like being the son of Poseidon wasn't bad enough for them.

Today was the first day the Lupa had Percy attempt to undertake beast form, and so far it had proved useless.

"I don't know how, Lupa. I feel it inside me. But I can't release it." He whined.

Lupa's eyes narrowed. Percy could tell that she was growing tired of his incompetence. It wasn't his fault. It was undoable.

"Reach into the same area that you get your demigod powers from. Just as you find the sea, you will also find the forest, you will find the wolf within you. But you must remember. You cannot let it take over your mind. If it does, your humanity will leave you, and you well be nothing but a savage lycanthrope."

And so he did. He tapped into the same area that he did when he was controlling water. There he found waves, storms and rumbling earth. He pulled away from that, and searched deeper. He went beyond the stirring oceans. Deeper into his powers.

Finally, he reached a dense forest, filled with great ferns and evergreens. It was deadly quiet. Not a sound came from within. No wind, no animals. It was barren, besides the plant life.

Finally, in the centre of the forest, was a lone wolf, it's sea green eyes peering into Percy's eyes with curiosity. It's pitch black fur gleaming against the sun's light. It took a step forward, and howled. The wolf's howl travelled into the forest. Suddenly a strong gust blew through the massive ferns. The sounds wild life dominated his ears. There was a tug in his gut. Shortly after, his senses exploded.

Pain erupted from every cell in his body. Sickening sounds of bones cracking and ligaments stretching sounded from him. Rippling muscles appeared along his now wolf-like body. His canines elongates, razor-sharp claws protruded from his fingers, now paws.

His eyes darted around his surroundings. His senses were enhanced tenfold. A familiar hunger clouded his mind. It almost took over his mind. Until Lupa stepped forward.

"Do not let the hunger take over, Perseus. Push it away. Push it to the very depths of your mind. Tame the beast. Make it bend to your will." She said calmly.  
Percy's claws went up to his head as he held it in pain. He fell to his knees, trying and failing to push the hunger away. It was just too powerful. What remained of his mind knew that if he didn't fight it away soon, it would take over his mind, and Percy Jackson would be no more.

He took a shaky breath through his snout, and thought of things that would be lost if he let the beast take over. His friends at Camp Half-blood. His new life at Camp Jupiter. The hunger subsided a bit.

He stood up on his haunches, continuing this train of thought. Not only would he never see his friends again, but they would die in the war. He wanted to be there, to help them defeat the new threat that clouded Olympus. The hunger was being pushed to the brinks.

He thought of his mother and she would be disappointed if he let some wolf take his mind over. He thought of his future. He thought of his happy ending that he was determined to get. And no damn war or curse was going to get in his way.

And the hunger was gone. He glanced around shakily, testing his limbs. He clenched and unclenched his claws. He stood straight on his haunches, and looked at Lupa in the eyes.

"It seems that you succeeded, cub. Turn back into a human, and we will speak more." She said.

At first Percy was confused at how to shift back into a person. But then he realized what to do. He closed his eyes.

He once again tapped into his powers. The familiar tug in his gut was back. He saw himself in a forest, the same one he had found the wolf in. He travelled beyond it, returning to the churning seas and stormy winds.

When he opened his eyes, he was standing there, back in his human form. He had felt no pain whatsoever in turning back.

"I did it." He gasped out.

"Yes you did, cub. And you have successfully controlled the monster within. Remember, however. The hunger will never subside. But as long as you remember what grounds you as a mortal, your mind will always prevail."

He sighed, "Will it always hurt that much to turn?"

"No," Lupa chuckled. "As long as you keep a firm control on the beast. It only hurt that time because you didn't have control. Now when you turn, you won't feel a thing. This does not mean however that you turn into one whenever you feel like it. Only do so if you need the wolf's strength. Do not abuse the curse. The beast will eventually take over if you are not careful. You should feel very lucky. Few have ever had complete control over lycanthropy."

Percy blushed, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. "I won't overuse the power, I promise."

"Now then. Any questions?" Lupa asked him.

"What happened to the Curse of Achilles?" He questioned.

"Don't tell me you bore the curse." She said. This boy kept on surprising her.

He nodded awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck.

"Impressive. There is more to you than I thought. Unfortunately, the moment you took on the wolves blood, the curse was washed from your soul. You are no longer invulnerable." She told him.

He nodded once more, slightly disappointed at this development. This curse just kept finding ways to ruin his life even further.

"Good. Now that that's done, we'll get into Roman mythology."

Percy groaned.

(Line Break)

The last day of Percy's training was finally upon them. After weeks and weeks of honing his skills, both werewolf and man, she had finally deemed him worthy of the legion.

"Well I've taught you all I know. Wait... There is one thing I can still teach you. I don't normally teach this to the other recruits... But you. You are different Percy." She told him.

"What do you mean? What else could you teach me?" He questioned.

"Her silver eyes darted towards the forest in deep thought. She looked beyond the tree line and into the depths, seemingly searching for something. She bobbed her head in a nod like she found what she was searching for.

"I want you to find a hellhound." She said.

Percy paused, "A hellhound? No offence, but I don't think a hellhound would be much of a problem for me, especially being a werewolf and all."

Lupa chuckled. "No no. I never said that I want you to fight it. I want you to find a hellhound and befriend one. Try to understand their position. There is one reasonably near by."

Percy looked at her incredulously. "Befriend a hellhound? How is that even possible? Won't they try to, like, eat my face off?"

This time, Lupa peered into Percy's eyes with not an ounce of humour, but seriousness. "Go. Do what I have told you to do. I think you will be quite surprised at what you find." She said before stalking back into the Wolf House.

Percy huffed before walking towards the forest. Make friends with a hellhound? Impossible. Well, he supposed he did do it once. But Mrs. O'Leary was different. She grew up among humans, away from the influence of the normally evil creatures.

He ambled through the thick underbrush, weaving his way through the endless maze of trees. He wiped the sweat from his brow. It was hotter than most of the days he had been here. He wondered if Apollo had gotten up on the wrong side of the bed.

Finally, after distancing himself from the cabin enough, he expanded his senses, looking for other wild beasts. Millions upon millions of insects inhabited the forest, along with many types of birds and wolves. That's when he felt it. A large presence, the size of a small rhino, stalking through the forest. He pursued it.

Soon enough, he had the hellhound within his sights. It looked evil as ever, it's glowing red eyes darting from tree to tree. What surprised Percy the most, however, was the lack of bloodlust coming from the beast.

Instead of approaching the monster directly, he decided to follow it. He pursued it in the shadows for at least an hour, before he began to sense another creature. It was about the size of an adult wolf. They were getting closer and closer, it was obvious that this hellhound was heading towards it.

Finally they came to a small clearing. In centre lay a much smaller hellhound, sprawled out on it's back. Percy was slightly taken aback. The baby hellhound was... Well it was playing.

Butterflies floated around the creature as it tried to catch them it's small paws. It's tongue flopped around outside it's mouth. It was... Well it was cute, quite honestly. Besides the glowing red eyes, it just looked like a dog that was playing.

The hellhound that he was following began to sprint towards the younger one. At first Percy thought that it was going to attack. But when the bigger one tackled the smaller one to the ground, they simply just rolled around in the sunbathed grass, before coming to a stop. They snuggled up to each other, the smaller one giving a wide yawn. The only emotion that he sensed from them was joy.

Carefully, Percy emerged from the tree line. He cautiously walked towards the pair, his hand out in front of him. When they finally noticed him, The larger one immediately placed itself in front of the smaller one and barred it's teeth towards Percy. One emotion was rolling off the creatures and it was... Fear.  
They were scared of him. Normally it was the other way around. Every other hellhound he had seen had attacked him on sight, with absolutely no mercy. But these ones... They just sat back cautiously, scared of what Percy would do.

Slowly he approached, still with his hand out. As his hand began to get close to the beast's head, it snarled. Percy recoiled slightly. Was this really a good idea? If it bit his hand off, he would be sure to have some words with Lupa.

Finally, his hand stopped, just inches away from the hellhound's snout. Another feeling began to emanate from the monster. Curiosity.  
The hellhound cautiously inched forward towards Percy's outstretched hand. It began to sniff at his hand, seemingly checking for any hostility. Finally, when it deemed Percy harmless towards them, it brought it's head closer and touched it's snout to Percy's palm.

Percy let go of a breath he didn't know he was holding. He was beside himself. This hellhound had willingly let Percy, a demigod, pet him.  
He scratched the creatures head lovingly. He brought his other hand up from his side to pet the beast. The hellhound opened it's jaws only to slobber on Percy's face. He fell back on his rump, laughing.

"Do you now see?" A voice said behind him.

He spun around and was met by Lupa. "The hellhounds you and your demigod friends fight are the hellhounds from the days of Ancient Greece. Same with all the other monsters you see. They were bred for war, born only to hunt down and kill their predator."

She regarded the beast behind Percy, "These are wild hellhounds. They live in fear of you half-bloods. They simply want a peaceful life. But because of their ancestors, that is no longer possible."

"But why are you telling me this? Why don't you show this to the other demigods you teach?" Percy asked her.

"Because," she began, "The other demigods would never listen. No matter what, they would not stop killing these innocent creatures. And even if they did, they would not spread the word to their allies."

"But you, you bear the curse of the moon. You walk the path of both man and beast. You are a part of both worlds. Perhaps you can be the bridge that closes the gap between them." She added, eyeing Percy.

"But no matter. Whether you decide to listen to me or ignore me, your training is complete. Gather your things at the Wolf House, and we shall say our final goodbyes before I send you on your way to Camp Jupiter."

(Line Break)

He didn't exactly have much things to gather. Some clothes (courtesy of Lupa) and his backpack that had a small pouch of denarii and some ambrosia and nectar.  
When he stepped out of the Wolf House, he was met by Lupa and some of her wolf companions.

"This is where we part ways, cub. Even though you are of Greek descent, you'll make a fine addition to the Twelfth Legion. I have not a doubt in my mind that you will bring honour to Rome. I have taught you all I know. I hope you find it within yourself to protect the peaceful beasts." She concluded. Her fellow wolves yipped in agreement. Pride emanated from them.

He bowed to the Mother of Rome. "Thank you, Lupa. It's been short but you were like a second mother to me. I will spread your teachings to the Romans."  
Lupa stood straight in pride. "Thank you, Percy. I have taught you how to find the camp. Just follow the signs."

"What if they don't accept me? I'm a son of the sea god. He isn't exactly well known within the Romans." He said.

Lupa's eyes narrowed and she snarled, "If they do not accept you, I will personally come to New Rome and make sure they do. Do not worry, cub."

He smiled at the wolf. "Well. Wish me luck then" he said before making his into the forest, adjusting his backpack so that it was more comfortable.  
Before entering the forest, however, he turned around and ran up to Lupa. She eyed him curiously. Percy stretched out his arms and engulfed the large beast, and buried his face in her chocolate brown fur. She felt her stiffen slightly, then she relaxed, her body shaking in a small chuckle.

"Thank you." He said once more before turning around and bolting back into the forest.

"As he reached the tree line, he looked back. However, Lupa and the wolves were gone. He took one last glance at the Wolf House, before beginning his journey to Camp Jupiter.


End file.
